Nordics want new border control extension

Six Schengen zone countries plan to extend border controls by a further six months.

Sweden, Norway and Denmark as well as Germany, Austria and France are preparing a new extension of their border control arrangements by what is likely to be another six months.

Border controls have been in place in Scandinavia since the height of the migrant crisis in January 2016 and are set to expire on May 12.

There is no reason to drop the tightened border checks, claims Inger Støjberg, Denmark’s minister for immigration, integration and housing.

“I cannot imagine that we will lift border control at the present time,” she said in Brussels. “I think we are in relative agreement over this issue.”

The European Union’s migration commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos, said he would rather the six Schengen countries increase their police presence in high-use border areas than extend the border control timeframe.

“We want to get back to a normally functioning Schengen,” he said. “That is the principle on which we base our work with all countries.”

Changing the rules
The countries must give notice of any new arrangements to the European Commission one month before they come into effect.

“There are several things involved. There are questions relating to terrorism and thereby the ability of terrorists to cross national borders,” Støjberg said, referring to a recent expansion of rules dictating border control to the terror threat as well as a high influx of migrants.